Body positivity is a term that is often used in connection with lipedema, obesity, and other conditions affecting body shape. However, it tends to mean different things to different people and, like lipedema, is often misunderstood.
Let’s take a look at the definition of body positivity and how to apply it to your life.
The Roots of Body Positivity
Body positivity is a social movement that began in the 1960s. It challenged several prevailing conceptions: 1) that abnormal body shape is always a choice, and 2) that people can and should be morally judged for their body shapes. The movement elevated some important ideas, including the notion that people naturally come in different shapes and sizes, and that the definition of “fat” varies across cultures and times.
Body positivity helps us develop a more compassionate attitude towards our own and others’ bodies. Many people suffer from negative perceptions of their bodies that hamper their self-confidence. A person’s body image may be affected by a number of factors: their mood, level of movement, amount of exercise, photographs of themselves, the looks or opinions of others, or a simple glance in the mirror.
It is also affected by the way that body types are portrayed in the media. Too often, abnormal body shape is still used as shorthand for deformity, evil, laziness, or untrustworthiness. Conversely, certain body types are portrayed as ideal, leading those of us who don’t share those body types to castigate ourselves. The body positivity movement seeks to end these associations and ensure that people of all body types are seen as people.
How Body Positivity Can Apply to Your Life
If you struggle with lipedema, it can be easy to fall into a body-focused mindset. Constantly thinking about how your body looks, how it reacts to certain inputs like food and movement, and how to manage it can take a mental tool. Body positivity encourages us to move away from this body-centric focus and cultivate a broader and healthier awareness of who you are.
Remember that you are more than just a body. You are a person: a sibling, a parent, a friend, a loved one. You are kind, intelligent, resilient, and loving. You are far more than what your body looks or feels like.
When we adopt the philosophy of body positivity, we can embrace the contradiction that it’s OK to love our bodies as they are and also try to change them when we want. We can end the associations between body shape and size and a person’s worth and moral character. We are more able to accept ourselves and others.